Zine Reviews - Early Jan 2016

Most of these zine are from  my EBABZ haul. I have a lot more zines that have occupied my time recently but did not want to overwhelm anyone with to many reviews. I will do more at the end of the month.


No Gods Not Mattresses #26 : Enola's train travels get stuck in my head. You root for her and her pals to get safely to the next point in their journey with every new page. She also drops some Strawberry Switchblade info that delighted me in this issue. Her zines are always a mix of cut and paste, doodles and random backgrounds. Hefty read - very wordy and full of delight.
Send Enola a couple of bucks (price is not listed) to get a copy. She also made a 120 minute mix tape to go with the issue - if you send a blank tape & postage (a few bucks) you can have it in your hands. I think Matt got the tape from her - I need to check it out. Address: Enola D., PO Box 3936, Berkeley, CA 94703

Dreams of Donuts #22: Get it for the artwork alone. I get lost in Heather's art and there is so much cool imagery on every page. Take a punk rock comic trip as Heather tours with her friend's band, stays in hotels and makes a stop at Hollywood Forever Cemetery - fun times. Plus I get a shout out - I saw my name in the thank you credits and I think I blushed, let out a happy squeak and jumped all at the same time!
You can get ordering info on Heather's  blog.

Re-Minders #7: Clean art - almost like new age collage. Also the writing reminds me of mantras that I  hear in kundalini yoga classes. Spiritual without being super woo-woo. You can get Rani Goel's zines here.

Palace of Ashes: A comic about Emmit Watson and his restoration of the San Francisco Columbarium. I like anything death culture so this is a cool little read. I also think that a person taking on such a big project is pretty brave! This has been on my 'get on BART and go list' for awhile. I hope 2016 will be the year I get to check it out!

Arcane Angles #3: A nice lengthy piece on Santa Muerte is in this issue - which is what drew me to it. Also a lot of rad death content! Also I see some of my zine pals getting a shout out/review in the zine which is nice. This zine: layout, content and all reminds me of the zines I got into in the 90s and are a rare breed. Some of the stories border on college essay territory but they are well thought out and researched.

if you'd like to hear it // i can sing it for you #002: This is the death issue and each piece reflects upon death and dyeing. There is poetry, stories, comics and photos to explore - this mix allows a mixture of emotions to come about, not just gloom. *I have a piece in this issue.*

The Battle Of The Boxed Vegan Mac & Cheezes

I grew up in the 80s - boxed mac and cheese would make the rounds on our dinner plate. We seemed to get the traditional kind - the small elbow shaped noodles with the electric orange sauce packet. I did not like it! I liked the one with shells and the super creamy sauce.

Over the last few months vegan mac & cheeze has taken over the selves. In the last few weeks Matt and I have dabbled in the boxes we picked up at Whole Foods.

So Delicious: Most like the blue box I remember from childhood. Kinda cheesey, kinda chemically, a bit dry. You add your own spread and non-dairy milk with this one.

Daiya: Winner! This is super creamy, everything comes in the box and has a great taste. It had the creaminess of the shells I remember as a kid.I believe this one was the most pricey on the shelf but it is the one I would buy again!

This is how I used the Daiya mac & cheeze: pan fried bbq Soy Curls, jalapenos and the mac & cheeze between a whole wheat bun. Fries and tots on the side because I only had a handful of each in the freezer. This was super yummy and something I will be making again for sure!

It is not hard to make your own stove top mac & cheeze now that vegan melting cheeze is on the market. Buying it in box form is fun and serves for nostalgic purposes but at the end of the day I like the stove top kind. I like mine topped with hot sauce and Tajin.

Vegan Beauty Box Round Up For August

Petite Vour  review:

Juara Clove Flower & Tumeric Serum - light weight and it absorbs easy. It needs a moustirizer on top if you are looking to hydrate your skin. On its own it does not moisturize enough.

Modern Minerals Tea Rose Finishing Glow: Most light blushes do not show up on me - no exception here. At least it did not give me a weird shimmery glow.

Mychelle Dermaceuticals Fruit Enzyme Scrub: Nice gentle scrub that does not leave gritty bits behind when you rinse it off.

Yarok Feed Your Shine hair serum - really does not do anything noticeable to my hair.

Vegan Cuts Beauty Box review:

One Love Organics dry shampoo: I like how this absorbs into the dark parts of my hair without making it look grey. However the packaging sucks - no matter what you do it leaks and coats everything with powder.

Gleam by Melanie Mills lipgloss: really sheer, does not really show any color on me when I swatched it.

Kaeng Raeng body scrub - pretty basic scrub. Not overly scratchy on my sensitive skin.

Glamnatural face lotion: nice night cream that is really thick. A bit goes a long way.

Harvey Prince perfume in Hello: I have tried this scent before. I like it because it is clean smelling. My bottle came broken so they are sending out a replacement.

Stuff I have Been Eating

Jenga garlic sticks via Plant Based Pizza in San Jose, CA. They were good - I liked the presentation best. It is really cool to have an all vegan pizza place. We had two pizzas and while they were okay we have high pizza standards and felt these were a step up from frozen.

More San Jose eats. Cauliflower wingz from Veggie Grill.  My first time here and sadly I am allergic to a lot of the food - even all of the salads due to my quinoa allergy. I ordered a sandwich as well but they never brought it out to me. The wingz were okay I think they need more sauce on the side. I really enjoyed the tea here and the fact they serve beer!

These Brownie Crisps from Trader Joe's are insane! Crunchy and tasty - like the crispy parts of brownies that people fight over. I bought a bag and had to go get two more in a week!

Pig-free pigs in a blanket, weenie roll ups or crescent dogs - whatever you call them. I added cheeze to mine. The sauce on top is a chipotle ranch sauce. Also plated is the roasted broccoli from Healthy Happy Vegan Kitchen and Annie's new vegan mac & cheeze. The Annie's mac & cheeze was disappointing. It had 0 flavor yet tasted rancid at the same time. No thanks! 

Vegan beans and weenies - yes more comfort food!I had left over tots and naan so I added that and a side salad to round out our dinner.

Loving Hut's Crispy Rolls - big fat panko coated egg roll perfection.

Last Two Weekends In Sacramento

So the last few weekends Matt and I spent time in Sacramento. Tattoos, to get, food to eat, death culture to explore. Fun times!

We went to midtown to have lunch and the first spot we chose did not have lunch hours so we were very hungry and decided to eat at Garden to Grill . We wanted to see if the place had improved since it was Sugar Plum after reading a bit about the changes in SN&R. I ordered a plate of pesto fries, a beer (to split) and Matt got a burger. It was $30+. My plate of fries above was cold, soggy, with a bit of pesto and a sprinkling of Daiya. Matt's burger looked more promising in the picture and even though he opted for the house made patty everything else from the bun to the sauce was store bought. I do not understand how a place can call themselves Garden To Grill when everything is heavy with Daiya and Gardein - which are great products but not something that I want my dine out meal to be made from the bulk of.
We liked Sugar Plum when it first opened. We would go there twice in one day if we were in town. After about a year in the place changed and then it went down hill. They do make really good whoopie pies and cookies you can pick up at Whole Foods and the co-op and at $2.99 they are really big and worth the price! I would not spend $30 there to dine again - in fact I would not even spend half that on stuff I can make at home and better.

Pushkin's Bakery has us covered with a tasty assortment of vegan cupcakes and muffins!

 El Papgayo has the best vegan Mexican food ever! The Baja tacos above is one of my fave dishes. Tangy, sweet and savory - all together and perfect in each bite!

My go to at Loving Hut in Elk Grove (and any LH) is the bbq vermicelli bowl. At the Elk Grove location I have to tell them no fake shrimp - not only do they creep me out I find them gross. Matt got a veggie burger and asked for no onions. I found fake shrimp in my dish under the noodles but luckily the giant slab of onion on Matt's burger was able to cover them up on the plate once removed. Ugh - seriously?

 
I was still riding on a cemetery high though after talking/interviewing a Buddhist master about life and death at the Ching Ming festival in East Lawn cemetery. I will be sharing the insight and bits of the conversation in an upcoming zine. 

We ended up back at El Papagayo - like always and this time around we both got the massive taco salad bowls - one of our faves. It is a massive fried flour tortilla with rice, beans, salsa, guac and choice your of filling spilling out.  I got the chile Colorado (potatoes, soyrizo) inside and was very happy while Matt opted for the fried tofu - his go to. This place is the best and everyone should go!

You Must Show ID To Read This - Beer Reviews

For the longest time I did not like beer. I equated all beer to be that of my teen years and cheap 40 oz. You know - not good stuff. Then on a whim I found some interesting sips and put down my margarita glass to try a few out. Here is what I like right now! 

Lagunitas Brown Sugga is a nice beer - not as sweet as I like them but it has a nice flavor and is smooth.
Stockyard Oatmeal Stout - I love this stuff. I like a lot of stouts though - they remind me of baked goods! This has a nice taste, sweet, mild and malty and well rounded. This is from Trader Joe's and a six pack runs you about $6 - wich is decent. Also Trader Joe's sells beer by the bottle/can randomly. Prices range from 50 cents to a $1 - it good for trying things out.

 

My fave beer that I have been back to more than once is the Blue Ridge Coffee Stout by Coronado Brewing Co. It has a nice complex flavor and there is a distinct coffee taste that hits you after you take a sip. Usually when beer or wine say they taste like something I never taste it and end up wondering if my taste buds are broken after to many years of hot sauce eating!

And there is always Tecate - cheap and easy to find it goes well on Friday nacho night!

If you have any favorite vegan beers please let me know! I am always searching for something new to try. Remember to drink responsibly - please do not drink and drive!

All beer was checked via Barnvivore for vegan status!

A Few Zine Reviews

Here are a few zines that I have read recently. I know I have said in the past I would do more zine reviews but I forget! I also did a handful of reviews in my latest zine. Please buy zines - read zines - make zines!

I am hooked on the art in Plush Issue 1 . Very dreamy, cute and a bit creepy. Perfect tattoo inspiration and some fashion inspiration thrown in there as well!

Eudaimonia #5  has a super rad flying bettle cover (I am into bugs right now!) and the art inside is really cute and inspires me to doodle more. From plants to hair this zine feels whimsical but personal and the art just floats it along.

Double Chinchilla Lucky #13 - Cat art and lots of it! "Nuff said!

Things Men Have Told Me About My Body - Some are wird, a few funny but more than anything a lot will make you angry. Why do men (and women) think they need to comment on other people's physical appearance without thinking twice of it?

Shotgun Seamstress #7:  Fliers for shows and the stories behind them. Inspiring for any of those looking to create an alternative to the alternative.

East Bay Eats - Sanctuary Bistro & Cinnaholic

Went to the Bay Area last Saturday for food and shopping. Had a good time till after dinner when I believe I got food poisoning from  Loving Hut in Westfeild Mall in San Francisco grabbing a quick dinner before everyone was closing up shop.


Started the day off with Sanctuary Bistro's brunch menu. It is a new place, we found parking right away and got in even though the place was crowded! I had ingredient questions based on my food allergies, the server brought out the chef and after I explained my food allergies (since some of the menu items had those ingredients listed), he smirked rather rudely. Sorry dude I do not want to get sick. The service was odd, our server brought out condiments one at a time, instead of bringing things out all together on a tray saving 4 trips back to the kitchen. I asked for almond milk for my coffee and was told it would curdle, I asked for soy, again the same response. After telling her I do not like Silk Soy Creamer because it's to sweet I got plain soy milk finally! At home in my coffee and tea I only do almond milk - unsweetened. If I am out I ask for almond milk but will settle for soy, curdle be damned!

 

I ordered the chocolate chip waffle for $9. It is gluten free, comes with house made vegan butter and maple syrup.I was kinda disappointed that fresh fruit was not sliced on top, a few slices of fruit would really have made it look more satisfying. I put a bit of butter on it and a drizzle of syrup, tried to cut into it, gave up, tore a piece off and took a bite. It tasted like a waffle for the first bite, that butter caramelized waffle iron taste that makes you want more. However the taste quickly vanishes and there really was no taste left after that unless your bite has a few chocolate chips in it. The texture was really hard to chew, the syrup would not soak in and I ended up using more butter and syrup than I normally would and most of it being left on my plate. After eating the waffle my jaw was sore, seriously it ached, I longed for an aspirin.

Matt went for the ranchero with tofu scramble  for $10, as his pick (his other choice was scrambled polenta which sounds interesting but Matt is a tofu guy). It came with potatoes - nice crunch on them and greens. It was a good plate, basic but comforting. The only complaint is that they seem to use a base scramble for their items. The scramble had broccoli - something that kinda killed the whole ranchero vibe. 

We do plan on going back again, trying different things. I had a Kickstarter reward that I did not use. As with any new place, I know there are kinks that need to be worked out. I do think the both service and food could be improved upon and hope changes are made. 

Sanctuary Bistro is located at 1019 Camelia St., Berkeley, CA 94710. 

I had a Groupon about to expire to Cinnaholic, we always put that area off because parking is so hard to come by. This time we lucked out and had parking on our first try. I picked out the jelly doughnut roll and some brownies for us to share. I inquired about coffee, the server was vague about either not having it right then or trying to get some. So as Matt waited I went a few doors down to StarBucks for a cup of coffee (I need coffee with my sweets!). 

The cinnamon roll strait from the oven was heaven in a box. The sweetness of the icing, the tartness from the strawberry jelly and the earthy notes of cinnamon in the crumble just go together so well.  We took some brownies for our way home - knowing they could sit in the car for five hours without going bad. They were really good too. Super chocolatey and a taste that is very classic!

Cinnaholic is located at: 2132 Oxford St, Berkeley, CA 94704